Support for exercising balls



Jan. 30, 1934. w P, MASLO 1,945,440

SUPPORT FOR EXERCISING BALLS Filed NOV. 14, 1932 W 94 g A TTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application November 14, 1932 Serial No. 642,640

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved exercising ball and support for the same and one object of the invention is to provide an exercising ball having a support so constructed that it may be applied to a person and support the ball in front where it may be struck and used as a punching bag;

At the present time punching bags of this general type are in use but the support for the bag is secured about a persons head above the eyes or against a persons chest. If the support is secured against a persons chest the ball hangs too low and is hard to strike and if the support or mounting strip is secured about the forehead it is liable to cause a headache and since the elastic band carrying the ball hangs downwardly and vibrates while the ball is being struck eye strain will result from watching the ball beyond the vibrating band.

Therefore another object of the invention is to provide an exercising ball having support or mounting strip adapted to be secured about a persons neck with the ball carrying elastic band attached to the strip at the front of the neck thereby disposing the ball where it can be readily struck without the elastic band hanging downwardly in front of a perso-ns face and causing eye strain. It should also be noted that by having the strip secured about the neck vibrations set up by the elastic band when the device is in use will massage muscles of the neck, thereby strengthening the neck and since it is necessary to look straight ahead in order to see the ball a person will learn to hold his head erect.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for connecting the elastic band with the ball and mounting strip and not only cause the band to be securely connected with the ball and mounting strip but permit the band to be adjusted and its eifective length controlled.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing an apparatus which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very eflicient in application to use.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved exercising ball in use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the mounting strip with portions shown in sec tion;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the mounting strip; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a fragment of the ball with the elastic band attached tothe same.

This improved exercising ball is to be applied to a person when in use'and struck with the lists and in order to do so there has been provided a mounting strip 1 which is formed of soft leather or any other pliable material de-, sired and is to be secured against the front and sides of a persons neck as shown in Figure 1. Each end of the strip is folded transversely along a diagonal line and then back upon itself in an opposite direction along a diagonal line as shown in Figure 3 to form tapered and reinforced end portions 2 and through each folded end is passed a hollow rivet or eye 3. The rivets I not only serve to retain the end portions of the strip folded but also permit tapes 4 to be passed through and tied. The strip is only of sufiicient length to extend partially about a per sons neck and the tapes of sufiicient length to be tied at the back ofthe neck. Therefore the strip can not be secured about the upper por-' tion of the head with its intermediate portion extending across the forehead and there will be no danger of the device being improperly applied when in use.

The elastic band 5 carrying the ball or punching bag 6 is to be connectedwith the strip 1 midway its length and in order to do so an eye '7 is secured through the strip as shown in Figure 2. An auxiliary strip 8 formed of flexible material similar to the strip 1 is disposed back of the intermediate portion of the mounting strip and this auxiliary strip has its ends sewed to the mounting strip as shown at 9. The auxiliary strip is so applied that when its ends are sewed to the main strip the intermediate portion of the main strip will be bowed forwardly and space provided between the two strips. Into this space extends the inner end portion of the elastic band 5 and upon this end portion of the band is mounted a disk 10 of leather or other suitable material having an eye 11 at its center through which the band is passed. The band is doubled before it is passed through the eye 11 to form a loop 12 and the end of the band is carried rearwardly about the edge of the disk and after being again folded upon itself passed through the loop 12 as shown at 13. By this 2i arrangement the inner or rear end portion of the elastic band will be securely connected with the disk 10 but may be easily released by grasping the band by its free end and drawing the loop 13 through the loop 12 and adjustments made to regulate the effective length of the band between the eye '7 and ball.. Therefore the device may be adjusted to accommodate itself to the size of the user and can be used by'either a child or grown person. Since the disk 10 and knotted end of the elastic band are disposed between the strip 8 and bowed portion of the.

main strip the disk and knot will be prevented from having direct contact with a persons throat and injury to the throat will not occur;. Vibrations set up by the band will be transmitted to the neck to massage the muscles and strengthen them and since the strip is secured about the neck a person will hold his head erect when using the exercising. device and will not be subjected to eye strain due to an elastic band extending downwardly from the forehead in front of his eyes.

Theball 6 is of the type-used for punching bags and has a bladder 14 of sheet rubber placed within a casing formed of leather segments 15 having their edge portions sewed together to form seams 16. A tab 1'7 consisting of a strip of leather folded upon itself is inserted between adjoining sections 1'5midway ends thereof where it" is firmly secured when the sections are" sewed together and this tab carries a hollow rivet or eye 18'througli which the outer end ofthe elastic band is passed and then tied as shown at 19. Therefore the ball will be securely carried by the outer-end of the-bandbut if the band should snap it can be easily untied and a new band applied.

1" havetherefore provided an exercising device which can be applied to a person when in use and serve not 'onlyasa punching bag but also serve to massage and develop the neck muscles. I" have further provided a punching bag which will cause a person to hold his headupright and in whichieye strain will be eliminated and danger of. the ball rebounding and striking a person in theface reduced to a minimum.

From the foregoing description of the construction; of my. improved apparatus, the operation thereof and. the method. of applyingthe same to use will be readily understood. It will be seen that I- have provided a simple, inexpensive and eflioient means for carrying out the objects of the invention. and while I- have particularly described the elements best. adaptedto perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:-

1. A device of the character described comprising a flexible mounting strip, securing means for said strip, an auxiliary strip intermediate the length of the mounting strip and having its ends secured to the same, an opening being formed in the mounting strip in front of the auxiliary strip, an elastic band for a punching bag having one end passed inwardly through the opening in the mounting strip, an anchoring disk between the mounting strip and auxiliary strip, said disk having an opening formed therein, the said end of the elastic band being doubled to form a loop passed. through the opening of the disk and a portion of the band carried around the margin of the disk. and folded back upon itself and passed through the loop to releasably hold the band attached to the disk and permit adjustment of. the band to regulate its effective length.

2. A device of the character described comprising a flexible mounting strip, securing means for said strip, an auxiliary strip intermediate the length. of the mounting strip and having-its ends secured to the same, an opening being formedin the mounting strip in front of the auxiliary. strip, an elastic band for a punching bag having one endpassed inwardly through the opening'in the mounting strip, and a disk between said strips having the inner end of said band; adjustably secured thereto.

3. A device of the character described com prising a flexible mounting strip, securing tapes extending from ends of said strip, an auxiliary strip in back of said mounting strip intermediate the length thereof and having its ends sewed to the mounting strip and holding the intermediate portion of the mounting bowed forwardly, an 7 elastic band for a punching bag having one end portion passed through an opening formed in the bowed portion of the mounting strip, and a disk. carried by the inner end portion of said band to prevent outward movement of the band and control the effective length. of the band.

4. A device of the character described com.- prising a flexible mounting strip having its end portions each folded. transversely along a diagronal. line and then back upon itself along a diagonal line in an opposite direction to provide the strip with tapered and reinforced ends of multiple thickness, eyes passedthro-ugh the folded ends of said strip to retain the ends folded; tapes passed throughsaid eyes andsecured therein and extending from ends of the strip and an elastic band for a punching bag connected with the mounting strip midway the length thereof.

WILLIAM P. MASLO. 

